


At The End Of The Shore

by gadzinqa



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-08-08
Packaged: 2018-02-12 08:09:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2102064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gadzinqa/pseuds/gadzinqa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes the sea brings something you do not expect.<br/>Sanji certainly did not expect this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	At The End Of The Shore

CHAPTER 1

For some people Sea was like a living person.  
The Sea was merciless and cruel.  
During violent storms, without remorse the Sea managed to take everything what people loved. Tore the fishing nets and flooded the surrounding towns. Caused destruction and chaos which even the strongest and oldest have feared. The Sea raised irrefutable respect and only fools could doubt it.  
There was also the other side.  
The Sea was beautiful and generous.  
During quiet days he lazily spilled his waves on the golden sand of the beach and formed a view which you immediately fell in love with. In his goodness he gave people wealth hidden in his depths. In good times the fishing nets were heavy and you could find all sort of different, sometimes very precious things on the shore.  
Anyone who has had contact with the Sea knew that it was the force that was simultaneously loved and hated.  
Sanji also knew it.  
Working from an early age by the Sea, man learned his moods and reactions. At the same time Sea affect the people living close to him. Always before the storm employees and visitors at the Baratie were heavily irritated. And in the quiet days like this, people were calm. Life was getting calmer. Easier even.  
At least on the surface.  
Sanji leaned against the railing on the restaurant`s terrace, heavily inhaling cigarette smoke. The storm that struck the night before was still giving them a hard time. Carne and Patty still did not manage to cope with the grasp of the lower terrace, which was in some places covered with dirty foam and long seaweeds.  
Cook looked thoughtfully towards cliffs visible on his right side. It was truly a miracle that not a single ship crashed on them during the storm. The old lighthouse on the top of the cliffs was still working but the weather was so tragic, it was easy to overlook its pale and wasted light.  
Sanji once again firmly inhaled the smoke, this time looking the other way.  
On this side was the long, golden beach. But right now it’s sand do not look inviting. The entire length of the shore threatened his eyes with old branches, broken ships’ parts and rugged fishing nets.  
The storm always brought ashore a whole bunch of things.  
Sanji stopped to be surprised at what the Sea can bring long time ago. During his life he had heard about it so many stories, that each new had no longer seemed to be strange or unbelievable. Maybe because of this, when Carne told him that Patty had found the human body next to the garbage cans in the back alley, he only shrugged.  
“Trust me, you didn`t seen something like this”, he swore to convince him to come downstairs. “The police will take him soon”.  
“What is so unusual in dead body?”, Sanji reached for another cigarette. He did not like the view of a corpse. Nobody liked that.  
“Come on. The owner’s testimony will be needed when they arrive.“  
Blond sighed heavily.  
Since Zeff, his foster father who took care of him after the death of his parents, passed away – Sanji clearly became the owner of Baratie. Nobody had anything against it. That was the natural order of things.  
When he reached the back door, behind them, he heard the voices of his two colleagues.  
“I wonder who slashed him this way...”  
“Maybe some sea monster?”  
“Impossible. It looks like someone slashed him with something big and heavy. And sharp. Very sharp.”  
Sanji pushed the door going directly to the street leading behind the restaurant and serving as a place for garbage cans, unwanted cartons and old chairs and tables from the terrace. He was prepared for anything. He never liked the view of bodies washed up by the Sea. They were gray and strangely bloated. They reminded him of dead fish. The very idea of stale fish was making him sick.  
However, the body that was lying on the street corner was not pale. It was quite fresh. And poured over with far too much blood and water. Sanji stubbed out his cigarette and walked closer, pushed by curiosity which he could not explain.  
The body belonged to a man. Sanji suspected that they could be around the same age. He was well built and his skin was nicely tanned. Cook frowned, looking at his head. Despite the large amount of blood he could see the green color on the stranger`s hair.  
Sanji snorted.  
“I told you.” Carne laughed. His laughter echoed in the alley. “This guy has green hair...”  
His sentence was interrupted by a muffled, barely audible moan. They fell silent, listening intently.  
“He...” Sanji leaned slightly. “He's alive.”  
In a split second he was next to a stranger and carefully checked his pulse. He felt it.  
“Patty, call Chopper and cancel the cops. Now.”  
From up close the blond noticed how big was the wound that spread across the stranger`s chest. He also noticed an object that man hugged tightly, protecting it from the world. To the Cook’s astonishment it was a samurai sword. His white handle was splashed with blood.  
Sanji crouched down beside him and reached for sword. The stanger`s eyes opened up as soon as he felt that someone wanted to take away his katana. Cook felt the cold stare of two gray irises.  
“Over my dead body...” Man muttered weakly, tightening his grip on the sword.  
“ This is exactly what will happen if you don`t let me help you!” Sanji replied angrily.  
The man groaned loudly again.  
“I'm fine. It's just a flesh wound.”  
“Of course. And you are not bleeding to death right now...”  
“I`m fine. Leave me...” The stranger did not finish the sentence. He bent over in pain and with a loud moan he fainted again.  
Sanji sighed deeply.  
He did not need this. He did not need another problem in the form of a slashed stranger, washed-up by the Sea. He did not need another thing to worry about and extra favors from the people to put this stranger on his feet.  
He definitely did not need this.  
However, something told him that he could not do otherwise.  
In life, he learned that you had to listen to the instinct.  
Now he was not going to do it differently.  
“Carne, help me to carry him upstairs.”  
“But chief... He is soaked with blood...”  
“ Well... I was planning to change my sheets anyway.”  
In silence, as carefully as they could, they lifted unconscious man up and they carried him on the top floor to Sanji’s private quarters. 

X X X X X X X X X X X X 

He was woken up by the whispering, quiet voices. He laid with eyes closed, listening.  
“I don`t know how he survived it. He was really lucky.” The voice sounded very young. He probably belonged to a teenager. “I don`t know when he wakes up. I did what I could, but it would be much better to take him to the hospital...”  
“Certainly not.” The other voice was much older. He could feel the unquestionable power in it, hidden just under the hoarseness which sounded like gentle murmur. For few seconds he was sad that the man said only two words.  
“I know that you don`t like hospitals, but it`s the best for him right now. I can not tell if something is broken or if there is any internal bleeding...”  
“We both see that he is just unconscious. He looks like a strong guy. In my opinion he will be just fine without the hospital.”  
“You can't know it for sure...”  
“I am fine.” He spoke. His throat protested with sudden pain. “You don`t need to take me to the hospital.” He opened his eyes.  
Both people sitting in a small room looked at him in surprise.  
He was right that the owner of the first voice was a young boy. He could not be even twenty years old. His light brown hair fell into his big brown eyes and his skin was smooth and rosy. The second person was a man probably in his age. Nonchalantly leaning back in his chair, smoking a cigarette calmly. He was tall and slim. Blonde hair hid one side of his face, so only one of his eyes was visible and closely watching his every move. This eye was light blue. Just like the ocean. And the sky on a hot summer day... But the strangest thing was his eyebrow – it ended with a small spiral.  
“ What is wrong with your eyebrows, Curly?”  
Sanji snorted in disbelief.  
“What is wrong with your hair, moss-head?”  
For a moment, they measured themselves with glances. The blond looked away first, closed his eyes and inhaled the smoke heavily.  
“You see, Chopper? I told you he will be fine. ”  
Young boy, named Chopper, nodded in silence, studying his patient with surprised look.  
“How...? How that`s even possible?” The boy like in a trance stepped near the bed and started examine the stranger’s body again. “You should be unconscious for two or three more days...”  
“I said I`m fine.” He repeated again, moving away from the soft touches of boy’s hands. Sanji noticed that he did it firmly yet very gently. Chopper blushed looking down at hand, that held his wrist. He snatched it a little too frantically, stepping away from the bed. In a panic he looked at the blond. Sanji was not able to stop the silent laughter.  
“So Marimo... What's your story?”  
For a moment man looked like he wanted to say something. He opened his mouth but then closed it again. His eyebrows twitched from thinking. Slowly he raised his gaze to blond.  
“I don't remember.”  
Sanji looked at him in surprise.  
“You don't remember how you got here, right?”  
“Yeah...”  
“Then we have a real problem, moss ball. ”  
“Don`t call me that curly brow!” He growled in frustration.  
“We definitely have a problem..” Sanji could feel his anger rising.  
The trio was silent for a moment.  
“He can stay here.” Chopper lit up as if he found the most brilliant idea in his life. “You have a free room. And you are short on employees. He can help. ”  
Cook looked at the stranger. His face was calm but there was some tension around the corner of his mouth. He was waiting for Sanji’s reaction.  
The blond exhaled deeply.  
“He can stay. As long as he will be working and helping.”  
“I can do that.” The men was sure about his words. Sanji easily saw the determination in his eyes.  
“We will see about that.” Cook stood up and stretched lazily. Fatigue was slowly getting to him. He needed a few hours of sleep to regain strength before the next working day.  
“Go home Chopper. And thank you for your help. Visit me tomorrow. I will make you something sweet. ”  
The boy brightened again. His face stretched in a wide smile.  
“You can tell Carne and Patty that they can also go. I will lock up. ”  
Chopper packed up all his things and headed for the exit. For a moment he paused in the doorway. The cook looked at him from the corner of his eye, lighting another cigarette.  
“Don't overdo yourself. And take a good rest.”  
“I will buddy, don`t worry about me.”  
The stranger looked away. The warm smile that spread across cook`s face wasn't for him. It was all because of this young and shy doctor.  
“And you too.” Chopper’s concerned voice brought him back from his thoughts.”Take care of yourself. This wound is deep. For few days you must take it easy. Don`t let him order you around and lift the heavy staff. ”  
“I`am not a barbarian.” Cook snorted. “I will give him easy and light jobs. Don`t worry.”  
Boy smiled to them one more time before he turned around and walked away.  
Sanji sighed. The smoke felt more bitter than usual.  
“Just like I said, moss head.” He started slowly. “You can stay here till you are healed. I need more hands to help. I can`t pay you but I will guarantee food and warm place to sleep.”  
“That's good enough for me” Stranger was serious. His eyes were focused on Sanji. Cook looked away.  
“This place... It`s a restaurant called Baratie. A really fine one. People know me. And they knew my father. Now he’s gone and I`m the owner.” He didn't know why he brought this topic up. It felt weird to tell this to complete stranger.  
“If you are so well known then why do you still need someone to help?”  
Bull's eye. Sanji snorted and took another long drag of smoke.  
“That`s a long story. Times are tough. And it`s not your problem right now...” Cook stopped and hummed under his nose. “By the way... What's your name moss ball? Do you remember?”  
Green haired man’s face fell into the deep confusion. His brows frowned again.  
“That`s just great.” Sanji smiled widely. “So I can name you? I think Marimo will go well with you...”  
“It`s Zoro. Roronoa Zoro.”  
“Shame. Marimo sounds a lot better.”  
“No, it does not.” Zoro snorted. His cheeks were a little red. “And what the fuck does that mean anyway?”  
“It's a seaweed. Fluffy, puffy green one. Just like your hair.”  
The man's cheeks reddened even more. Sanji could only smile.  
“I need to close the gate and the doors. You can sleep here for tonight and tomorrow I will show you your new place. Try to get some rest. Sleep well.”  
He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and headed toward the door.  
“Oi!” He turned around. “What`s your name? You know mine...”  
“I`m Sanji. Sanji Blackleg. The head chief and the owner of Baratie.”  
Zoro nodded slowly.  
“Then goodnight, Sanji.” he said calmly and quietly.  
Cook felt something warm inside of him. He didn’t need more troubles. He did not need to know Zoro more. It was just the opportunity. Opportunity to find free pair of hands.  
Nothing more.  
Or so he thought.


End file.
